INTOLERABLE CRUELTY

US, 2003, 108 minutes, Colour.
George Clooney, Catherine Zeta Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton, Edward Herman, Richard Jenkins, Paul Adelstein, Cedric the Entertainer, Tom Aldredge.
Directed by Joel Coen.

The Coen Brothers have built up a considerable reputation. They seem to be able to take all the popular genres and make something different from each one: Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Man Who Wasn't There. Now, in their most popularly audience-oriented film, they have taken on light comedy, the battle of the sexes and the touch of old screwball comedy. A number of reviewers who enjoyed the film feel that they have to make some kind of excuse: it is popular, it is comedy, it is slight... However, it is still very enjoyable.

George Clooney has the opportunity to preen himself without limit. He is the smoothest, most superficially charming, most ingenious marriage and divorce lawyer in America. Clooney carries this role off to perfection, with fine comic timing. However, he meets his match in Catherine Zeta Jones. She is the most glamorous, shrewdest and most calculating gold-digger in America and, when he chosen foolish husband lapses, she takes him to the cleaners. Well, until she meets Clooney.

There are some very good comic turns, especially from Billy Bob Thornton as her infatuated, Texas-rich next husband to be who cannot contain his prattling (the exact opposite of his fine performance as the silent Man who wasn't there). Edward Hermann is her erring and discarded husband. Geoffrey Rush, unfortunately, hasn't much to do as an obnoxious television producer.

While the tone is comic and sometimes ironic, especially when Clooney becomes infatuated, falls in love and gives a speech to a congress of marriage lawyers about the need for love, the undertones about marriage commitment, pre-nuptial agreements and divorce are quite serious.

A fine example of the Coen Brothers' versatility.

1. The work of the Coens, their versatility, their ability to take familiar genres and give them a bright and different treatment?

2. The tradition of the screwball comedy, the battle of the sexes, the sophisticated comedies and the relationships between men and women? Wit, irony, romantic?

3. The title and its application to Miles, to Marilyn?

4. California and its mansions, wealthy offices, gardens? Las Vegas? Conferences, the casinos, the wedding chapels? The musical score, the range of songs, especially Simon and Garfunkel at the beginning and with the priest singing "April" during the wedding?

5. Confidence tricks, skills in manipulating people, reading people? Audiences enjoying this kind of confidence trick deception?

6. The opening with Donovan, the Australian television producer, singing Simon and Garfunkel, happy, arrival, seeing the truck, finding his wife, knowing that the lover had hidden, threatening him, the gun, the inept discussion to placate people? The excuses? His wife going to Miles and explaining everything, Miles listening, reconstructing the scene in an entirely different way with her innocent and Donovan to blame? Winning in court? Donovan losing everything, especially his television show and his being glimpsed sleeping in the streets?

7. Miles and Wrigley, George Clooney and his screen presence, charm, comic timing? Initially seeing his teeth amplified, the continued jokes about the teeth? His listening to Mrs Donnelly and inventing a scenario? The chief owner of the firm, his age, eight-seven, busy, Miles visiting him and receiving all his praise - later visiting him and being blamed? Wrigley as Miles's assistant, supporting him, imitating him? Style, clothes, speech? The interviews - even to pastries?

8. Rexroth and his taking the girl on the rendezvous, Gus and his videoing the affair, Gus and his self-confidence - ass-kicking? The transition to the office, Marilyn and Freddie, the visit, the argument, Miles baiting Freddie, the discussions and negotiations about a settlement? Gus and his taking on the case, going to the house, to get the diary, being set upon by the dogs? Miles and his alibi and taking Marilyn to dinner? The explanation that it was not illegal? The prenuptial arrangement, the Massey (?) document and its being unable to be broken? The discussions with Rexroth, Miles taking his case yet blaming him? Going to court, the build-up to the cross-examination? Rexroth and his discussion with Miles and Wrigley, the patter about the meaning of "before the judge"? Miles and his cross-examining Marilyn, his pauses, dramatic effect, the objections by Freddie and his continual desperation, the judge listening and overruling them? Calling the Baron, the Baron and his name, manner, the poodle, his pride, being the concierge, telling the truth about Marilyn, the discussions about marriage and finding and idiot? Rexroth being the idiot? Rexroth winning and Marilyn losing everything?

9. Gus, his detective work, watching the television with his friends, being on call for Miles?

10. Marilyn and her girlfriends, their living in affluence, yet alone, frightened to be seen with anybody else or to have a relationship in case they lost their wealth? The discussions about plastic surgery, dinners? Mansions? Marilyn and her anger, going to Donovan and finding him in the street - and the audience unsure why? Her going to Miles with her new fiance, the prenuptial agreement, the fiance and his incessant chatter, declarations of love, shopping, giving Marilyn gifts? The build-up to the wedding, the glamour, the wealth, the priest singing "April" and walking up the garden with his guitar? (The irony of April and the break-up of the marriage?) The husband and his tearing up the prenuptial agreement and eating it? Marilyn left vulnerable? Miles and his wariness, Wrigley weeping? Miles and his discussion with Marilyn, the talk about love and the break-up of the marriage, the kiss - and his risking being disbarred?

11. Las Vegas, the convention - "No man" as the acronym for the marital lawyers - "Let no man put asunder"? The keynote speaker, meeting Marilyn, taking her to dinner, their inability to eat, going to the room, the prenuptial agreement, the wedding - in kilts? The night together? The next morning, the transformed Miles, the shock for the lawyers, his tearing up his speech, his speech about love and devoting himself to pro-bono work? Immediately meeting Marilyn and finding that she was walking out on him?

12. Miles abandoned by Marilyn? His having torn up the prenuptial agreement? His being poor? Miles and Wrigley watching the television, discovering that the husband was a soap opera star? The revelation that everything was a plan to defraud him and to humiliate him?

13. The hiring of the killer, Miles calling himself Mr Smith and getting it mixed up, the hired killer and his whispering, his inhaler? The discovery that Rex had died - and the audience seeing his cavorting with the girls and dying? The change of heart, the phone call and leaving the message for Marilyn, trying to change the orders? The irony of the assassin being caught by the dogs, being confronted by Marilyn, giving him more money to kill Miles? Miles and Wrigley in the house, the confrontation, using the mace, the killer making the mistake with his inhaler and the gun and shooting himself?

14. Freddie and Marilyn coming to visit Miles, the hearing, the argument, Marilyn tearing up the document, romance and the happy ending?

15. The new show, Gus and his being the host, divorce, the satire on the similar American programs on television? The irony of Donovan being on the show and eliciting the applause?

16. The laughing out loud comedy, the wisecracks, the timing, the verbal comedy? Yet the serious undertones about love and marriage?